Russia's Novosibirsk Region Bans Low-Skilled Migrants

The governor of Russia’s Novosibirsk region, Vladimir Gorodetsky, has signed a by-law aimed at boosting the employment of Russian citizens by banning migrants from working in a whole range of professions

Only migrants from former Soviet states working on temporary low-skilled work visas called patents are affected.

The move focused on the sectors of childcare, natural resource extraction, transport and recruitment, a statement on the Novosibirsk regional government's website said.

Employers now have three months to ensure they comply with the legislation concerning 16 professions in total, which will see the migrants banned from working in finance, law, translation, teaching, bookkeeping and audit, consulting and management.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree last year giving regional authorities the right to limit the amount of foreign workers.

According to Russia’s Labour Ministry, 2015 saw a more than 80 percent rise in foreign migration to the Siberian region, home to Russia’s third-largest city — Novosibirsk. Around 10,000 workers arrived last year from former Soviet states, primarily Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Ukraine.

Our original story incorrectly reported that the decree affected all foreigners working in the professions listed in the Novosibirsk region.